Port Panama City is set to improve its container yard, supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The project aims to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and increase capacity for both containers and general cargo.
Port Director Alex King stated that the port will soon connect its North Terminal container yard to the docks. “This is going to not only add capacity for containers and general cargo, it’s going to alleviate a serious bottleneck and safety hazard. Because right now, where we have every rail movement, every truck movement, every on-terminal steward or movement, it passes through this one area. We’re going to spread all of that out and add a lot of capacity,” King said.
The $3 million improvement project is funded in part by a 50-50 matching FDOT grant. The funding has allowed the port to acquire two new container reach stackers equipped with advanced diesel engines designed for cleaner emissions. Other upgrades include realigning rail lines and extending some tracks to improve rail service efficiency. Additional space will be created in an area previously occupied by an old bulk storage tank.
King noted that these changes were necessary due to evolving needs at the port. “This has been a long time coming. So, as this port has evolved over the years, there’s been long-term lease parcels that have had tenants on there that have handled either cargoes or some light manufacturing. And so, this is the result of a commodity that kind of really was not moving through the port in great volumes anymore. That lease expired, and we were able to take that land back,” he explained.
The upgraded connection between the container yard and docks is expected to open early next year.
